Imagine my delight when I was in Walmart today and saw Civ 5 on the rack three days early.

Imagine how pissed off I got when I got home, installed it, and Steam wouldn't let me start it because it's before the release date?

To hell with this garbage. If I buy it at a store and take it home I should be able to play the game, PERIOD. Last Steam game I ever buy.

One would imagine this was Walmart's fault, not Steam's, don't you agree? It was the former that broke street date, and while you had to suffer disappointment for it, it's entirely their responsibility that you were put in that position.

Imagine my delight when I was in Walmart today and saw Civ 5 on the rack three days early.

Imagine how pissed off I got when I got home, installed it, and Steam wouldn't let me start it because it's before the release date?

To hell with this garbage. If I buy it at a store and take it home I should be able to play the game, PERIOD. Last Steam game I ever buy.

One would imagine this was Walmart's fault, not Steam's, don't you agree? It was the former that broke street date, and while you had to suffer disappointment for it, it's entirely their responsibility that you were put in that position.

This.

Also, when you buy software, you are not buying the physical source code, you are buying a license to USE that source code. The software company can dictate when, where, and how you can do that.

Imagine my delight when I was in Walmart today and saw Civ 5 on the rack three days early.

Imagine how pissed off I got when I got home, installed it, and Steam wouldn't let me start it because it's before the release date?

To hell with this garbage. If I buy it at a store and take it home I should be able to play the game, PERIOD. Last Steam game I ever buy.

One would imagine this was Walmart's fault, not Steam's, don't you agree? It was the former that broke street date, and while you had to suffer disappointment for it, it's entirely their responsibility that you were put in that position.

That's exactly what happened. Walmart is at fault here for putting the game up, not Steam for not authorizing it. Remember when Bioshock (I think) was launched early at some stores? Nobody could play it for the exact same reason - it wouldn't authorize with the master server because it 'wasn't available at stores yet'.

EDIT: And yes, as just said, you don't own software anymore (sadly). You just authorize the 'use' of it on a PC of your choosing.

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"All opinions posted are my own, and not those of my employers, who are appalled."

Even without Steam, the game would likely have had some sort of online activation, and it wouldn't have worked until Tuesday. Blizzard didn't let people play StarCraft 2 until release day, and Civ5 would likely have been the same.

Quote from: Tscott on September 18, 2010, 06:57:08 PM

In other news, is manual and any other inserts everything we've come to expect from a Civ game?

Unfortunately, there is no paper manual or inserts

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"Why did the chicken cross the Mobius strip? To get to the same side." - The Big Bang Theory

One would imagine this was Walmart's fault, not Steam's, don't you agree? It was the former that broke street date, and while you had to suffer disappointment for it, it's entirely their responsibility that you were put in that position.

Just to throw it in there, steam/valve had no choice when to allow activation to occur. The company that made the game decides when it is unlocked and steam made an agreement with them not to unlock until that day.

In other news, is manual and any other inserts everything we've come to expect from a Civ game?

Unfortunately, there is no paper manual or inserts

Fuck. Now there's something to be pissed about. I was considering making this my first in-store purchase of a PC game in over a year because the manual and tech tree posters are always so good. Now, I guess I'll just get it from Steam directly.

I mean, this is your opinion and all, but steam has amazing deals coming up. Also, more and more games are ditching the shitty GFWL in favor of steamworks and it's much, much less raping of your system on DRM.

Well I sympathize with the OP, I'm sure that was a crushing disappointment. And it does seem stupid that you have to wait to play the game single player. But like others said, I guess that's just how it is these days.

FWIW, when I suggested shooting the messenger, I was referring to doing something inappropriate, useless, and blaming the wrong party. Not to shooting the OP or CeeKay.

You know, kinda like blaming Steam for Walmart putting the game out early.

It's frustrating, I understand. It's frustrating that I have the game pre-loaded on my PC as well (maybe this is the retail version of "pre-loading"). But as Tom Petty was saying "The Waiting is the Hardest Part..."

FWIW, when I suggested shooting the messenger, I was referring to doing something inappropriate, useless, and blaming the wrong party. Not to shooting the OP or CeeKay.

You know, kinda like blaming Steam for Walmart putting the game out early.

It's frustrating, I understand. It's frustrating that I have the game pre-loaded on my PC as well (maybe this is the retail version of "pre-loading"). But as Tom Petty was saying "The Waiting is the Hardest Part..."

Preloading is frustrating? Preloading is the best thing to happen to Steam, no release day frustration.

It's frustrating, I understand. It's frustrating that I have the game pre-loaded on my PC as well (maybe this is the retail version of "pre-loading"). But as Tom Petty was saying "The Waiting is the Hardest Part..."

there are things you can do to prevent pre-mature loading.

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Because I can,also because I don't care what you want.XBL: OriginalCeeKayWii U: CeeKay

Sorry, but it's just another reason to hate on-line activation more than anything else. I don't know what the percentage is for people who play games but have no internet access but I'm in a high tech area and I know of a few around me. Some areas of the state I would imagine 50% or more have no internet access at all (some don't even have a decent phone line much less broadband). A big FU to DRM and a big FU to the companies who continue to bend over the consumer while the pirates play early and with no restrictions.

FWIW, when I suggested shooting the messenger, I was referring to doing something inappropriate, useless, and blaming the wrong party. Not to shooting the OP or CeeKay.

You know, kinda like blaming Steam for Walmart putting the game out early.

It's frustrating, I understand. It's frustrating that I have the game pre-loaded on my PC as well (maybe this is the retail version of "pre-loading"). But as Tom Petty was saying "The Waiting is the Hardest Part..."

Preloading is frustrating? Preloading is the best thing to happen to Steam, no release day frustration.

It's pretty much the same thing as Darkstar's beef. The game is all ready to go on your computer, you're not a pirate and you've paid the moneys they asked for, but you can't yet play the game. You sort of have to shift your thinking to what your release day experience is with preloading: sit down at your computer and play without a long installation screen or download bar.

Maybe think of Walmart as a ticket seller to a Tuesday main event? There's dozens of different online and off-line places to get your ticket, but the show doesn't start until Tuesday.

I can see why buying the game and not being able to play is frustrating. As recently as a few days ago I was planning to run over to a 24 hour Walmart on Monday night to pick up Civ5 so I could play that night, but luckily I found out about the Steam activation issue. I would have been completely sideways if I'd bought the game that night and couldn't play it! But 7AM Pacific/10AM Eastern Tuesday can't come soon enough, that's for sure.

Someday we'll get beyond this physical street date stuff and games will go on sale as soon as the game is done and ready to be digitally delivered. I don't really get why we still have these anachronistic rules. Less the 15 years ago only specialty retailers even bothered to have games by Tuesday and the mass retailers usually didn't get them until a few days later. And we all survived. The more casual gamers don't buy most games on the first day anyway - Walmart will sell more copies of Halo Reach this weekend then they did on Tuesday if past game sales history is a guide.

« Last Edit: September 19, 2010, 12:52:23 AM by Sarkus »

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Roger: And you should know, I have no genitals.Syndey: That's alright. I have both.

Yep, I would be frustrated too. Except it's not Steam's or Firaxis' fault, it's Walmart's. Have a rant about how you will never buy anything from Walmart again since they are the ones who fucked up. It's just as frustrating when a Best Buy in Alabama breaks the release date on the newest big XBox game and you drive all over your local town hoping someone else did too. Frustrating, sure, welcome to modern gaming.

This crap happens with all the big game releases, do we need a thread rallying against every store when it does? There is a reason for releases dates.

Besides, without Darkstar the population of women at GT would fall down to being just Mytocles and jersoc.

Well it was an idiotic post. Steam sucks because Wal-mart broke street date? Great logic.

I hope you don't play WoW CeeKay, just because someone looks to be a woman, doesn't make it so.

there. fixed that for you.

and yes, this isn't steam's fault at all. if 2k had chosen a different drm/delivery system with an online activation, you would be right back where you started. you can fault 2k if you want or walmart if you want, but the real culprit is the pirates. if they weren't so intent on breaking the drm and getting something for nothing, 2k wouldn't have to keep upping their game from the old cd check to an activation model.

if you still want to blame 2k, blame them for sending the game out without turning on the retail activation servers. that would be warranted imo.

A release date is not just a day that the stores will give you your copy, or that you can play the game. A release date is a binding legal contract between two or more parties that are interdependent on each other for their revenue.